Self-lubricating bearing.



D. M. COOPER.

SELF` LUBBICATING BEARING. Arrmculon rxLED un. ze. 1911 Patented' Apr. 28, 1914 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEroE.

DANIEL M. COOPER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORKy ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LAUN'DRY MACHINERY COMPANY,

0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SELF-LUBRICATING BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed A'pr126, 1911. Serial No. 628.546.

To allwhom #may concern: Y

lle it'known that l, Damen M. COOPER, of Rochester. in the county of Monroe and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful improvements in Self-LuA bricatingl Bearings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear. and exact description of the same. reference being had to the accompanyingrr drawings. formingf a part '.:l' the specification. a-nd to the reference numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to a selflubricating bearing. and it has for its object to provide a bearing especially adapted for use in connection with vertically arranged rotating' elements. where considerable downward thrust is set up by the weight of the rotatingr clement and the parts supported thereby. 'l`o these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combination` of parts all as will be liereinaftcr more fully described. tlic novel features being1 pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification.

Figure l is a vertical lsectional view showing' one embodiment of in v invention. and Fie'. is a transverse section on thc line .11".1' of Fig. l.

Similar reference numerals in the sev 4eral figures indicate similar parts.

In spindle bearings. or thrust bearings of the character shown. generally. dilticulty has been encountered due to the fact that the wear-surfaces are quickly rendered untit for use. owing to the comparatively great weight exerted at the bearing point, and in providing effective means for maintaining the parts constantly in a sntliciently lubricated state. To this end l provide the bearing with a series of removable and inter changeable antifriction devices which afford wear-surfaces that may readily be replaced, and are arranged so as greatly to reduce the friction between the parts. The anti friction devices are positioned between the rotating element and its support, and are lubricated by the actionof the rotating element which forces the lubricating Huid upwardly to a point where it is directed inwardly, friction devices and outwardly to thevperiphery of the rotating element, and so on continuouslyas1 longr as there is a supply of the lubricating Huid.

In the embodiment of the inventionF as and thence downwardly to the anti-l herein illustrated, a vertically disposed Lrotary member or shaft 1. is disposed within a support, or step 2, the end 3 of which may be removabl secured t0 the body pOrtiOn as, shown. he lower end of the shaft 1 is concaved as shown at 4, and extendin vertically from the center of the concave( por tion l is an opening 5 which communicates near its upper end with the periphery of the shaft by means of an opcnin 6, preferably extending laterally from t e opening Arranged transversely of the end of the shaft 1 is a recess 7, which extends from the central opening 5 to the periphery of the shaft for a purpose which will now be made clear.

The upper face of the end portion 3 of the support 2 is preferably concave to receive an antilriction device. here shown in the form of a disk 8 having oppositelv disposed convex surfaces. and arranged thereabove are two similarly formed antifriction devices, the rotary member or shaft resting 0n the upper surface of the uppermost disk. and having its concave end conforming to the convex surface of the disk. The antifriction devices are preferably formed of hardened steel. although they may be constructed of any sufficiently hard and wear rests-tino material. B v providing a series of antif-iiction devices. as shown. the greatest wear takes place on the central one of the series, the up )crmost disk usually rotating with the sha t. while the lowermost one remains substantially stationaryy in the support. \Vhcn the central disk has been excessively worn, it may be placed at the bottom, the lowermost one being transferred to the top and the uppermost one arranged in the center. in this way enabling;` the bearing to continue performing efficient service for a much longer time without requiring the expense of additional wearing parts.

Arranged interiorly of the support 2. and

so as to surround the shaft '1 at a pointA in substantially the same plane with thc laterally extending opening 6. there is provided a recess' f), which collects the lubricating Huid -in its travel upwardly around the shaft 14,l and serves fo direct it inwardly througlrthe opening 6 whence it falls by gravity to the bottom of the shaft 1. and is vcarried through the recess 7 to the periphery of the shaft.- thence upwardly and so on, giving a constant. circulation during the rio 

